Chapter 16

Weather

16.1 Weather and Atmospheric Water

Lesson Objectives

• Discuss the difference between weather and climate.


• Describe the relationship between air temperature and humidity, including the concept
  of dew point.


• List the basics of the different cloud types and what they indicate about current and
  future weather.


• Explain how the different types of precipitation form.

Introduction

If someone across country asks you what the weather is like today, you need to consider
several factors. Air temperature, humidity, wind speed, the amount and types of clouds and
precipitation are all part of a thorough weather report. In this chapter, you will learn about
these many of these features in more detail.

What is Weather?

Weather is what is going on in the atmosphere at a particular place at a particular time.
Weather may be cold or hot, or wet or dry, and it changes rapidly. A warm sunny day may
rapidlyturnintoacoldandstormyone, makingyouwishyouhadbroughtyourjacket. There
are many factors that influence the weather; a few examples include the air temperature over
a region, whether there is a second air mass nearby, and how close high and low pressure cells
are. A location’s weather depends on air temperature, air pressure, humidity, cloud cover,